// BLOG
MOUTH CANCER ACTION MONTH
November 3, 2011
Mouth Cancer Action Month is now one of the major springboards for raising awareness of a disease that kills one person every 5 hours in the UK. We’re continuing to support the campaign by getting involved and ultimately, to help save lives.
Over the past few years, the profession has rallied to help promote awareness of mouth cancer, Confidental has been among the first to offer free oral cancer screenings. If mouth cancer screening is performed on each patient at regular intervals, especially on high risk patients, this will make a major contribution to the early detection of the disease. Explaining your screening work to your patients will also improve awareness among their families and friends also.
This year’s campaign focus is on the benefits of early detection, which increases survival to 90%. It’s estimated that 6,000 people will be diagnosed with mouth cancer this year and with your help, early detection will extend the lives of around 5,400 of them. Your participation is crucial. Together we can make a difference.
Did you know?
• The Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), which can be transmitted via oral sex, is increasingly being linked to mouth cancer. Younger people are particularly at risk, and those with multiple sexual partners even more so
• Around a fifth of the UK’s population smoke and the habit is still considered the leading cause of mouth cancer
• Drinking to excess can increase mouth cancer risks by four times
• As alcohol aids the absorption of tobacco into the mouth, those who smoke and drink to excess are up to 30 times more likely to develop the disease
• Although some people believe ‘smokeless’ tobacco is safer than smoking, the reality is that it is much more dangerous
Facts and figures
Latest figures (2008) show 5,790 cases of mouth cancer are diagnosed annually in the UK
• Mouth cancer cases increased by 46% between 1997 and 2008
• In the UK, Scotland has the highest incidence of mouth cancer
• 1,822 people died from mouth cancer in 2008
• Over two-thirds of mouth cancer cases are diagnosed at a late stage, reducing the chances of survival
• One person dies from mouth cancer every five hours in the UK (source: CRUK)
• Mouth cancer kills more people than cervical cancer and testicular cancer combined
• 50 years ago mouth cancer was five times more common in men than in women; now it’s only twice as common
• The possibility of mouth cancer remains high for ex-smokers for 20 years or more after quitting
• Although mouth cancer is more likely to affect people over 40 years of age, an increasing number of young people are developing the condition
How Confidental can help
Well over half the UK population received a dental examination in the last two years; this means Confidental’s dental team is in the ideal position to share information about the risks and symptoms of mouth cancer. Few people are aware of the disease itself, let alone the symptoms. The more you can do to educate patients, the better their chances.
• Creating an in-practice display using the oral cancer campaign poster
• Offering free oral health + oral cancer screenings with regular check ups
• Discussing lifestyle habits with our patients
• Encouraging smokers to quit
• Highlighting the symptoms
• Checking for signs of the disease at each patient visit
For more information about the campaign, visit the website http://www.mouthcancer.org
Thank you in advance for your participation. Together we can make a difference.
Click to comment(0)MOUTH CANCER
September 19, 2011
Regular checking at Confidental could save your life
Check for mouth ulcers that don’t heal in 3 weeks, red and white patches and unusual lumps or swellings in your mouth
If in doubt, get checked out
*one person dies every five hours in the UK – visit mouthcancer.org to find out if you are at risk
Click to comment(0)Why Choose Confidental
September 14, 2011
Because we believe that everyone should feel good about the way their teeth look and feel.
Because everyone should have access to comfortable dental care.”
Here at Confidental, we believe that everyone should receive high quality dental care in a setting in which they are comfortable.
Click to comment(0)Dentistry Faces Amazing Changes – Confidental stays up to date
September 13, 2011
Dentistry is a multi-faceted and rapidly evolving sector of medical science that is greatly influenced by technological innovation.
Throughout our lifetime we have seen vast changes in the technologies that surround our lives.
Dentistry is an area in particular that has seen such a change.
Much has improved in dentistry, where patients can now benefit from more effective dental materials, procedures and techniques. The changing practices of dentists have helped dental practices to have more of a community role within their area. Of course, all of these aspects of modern dentistry have now helped make a visit to the local dentist’s a little bit more of an enjoyable, relaxing and comfortable experience
At Confidental we have Digitalised X-rays: This ensures a quicker, more efficient and accurate treatment for the patient with 90% less radiation exposure. Digital CT scans can also be made to ascertain a complete 3D representation of facial aspects for even greater accuracy in more crucial diagnostic decisions.
At Confidental we keep up to date and we have equipped ourselves with some of the other notable advancements within dentistry, which include: new local anaesthetic drugs and delivery systems; we use computer modelling techniques with dental Implants; we carry out aesthetic dentistry – creating natural looking teeth; we can perform same-day procedures through CAD/CAM and CEREC equipment; we have dental lasers that allow the gums and teeth to be treated more effectively.
Confidental is much more inviting and technologically advanced in its appearance – ‘There are flat-screen TVs and coffee dispensers, which make our customers and patients feel right at home!’.
For some elderly patients, when they were children, visiting the dentist was a part of the school programme. Some even had a dental practice annexed onto their school. However, these were often the roots of their dental anxiety and phobias.
As a group they all agreed that their ‘school’ dentist was abrupt and pompous with a lack of empathy.
However, most of them mention that their visits to the dentist are vastly better at Confidental – ‘I now feel less anxious to visit the team at Confidental. They are kind, patient and explanative – far from the dentists I encountered in the past!’
Patients also recognise the changes in dental technology, where faster and more powerful drills have been developed for patient-comfort and greater precision.
On asking both the elderly and the young about their expectations for an ideal dentist they gave the following interesting criteria which Confidental always adheres to:
• Understanding
• Caring
• Empathetic
• Professional
• Chatty
• Sincere
• Dedicated
• Good manual-dexterity
• Up-to date
• Happy and enthusiastic
All of these changes have helped develop and expand dentistry into a more positive and beneficial service. After all, as long as science continues to evolve, so too will dentistry.
Click to comment(0)Benefits of coming to Confidental, Sandhurst, Berkshire
September 6, 2011
As a dentist Sandeep Mohal finds that an increasing number of patients recognise the benefits of preventive care. That taking greater care of their teeth and gums and attending the dentist regularly they can reduce the need for costly treatments and save money.
Minimal Intervention dentistry is good, enabling a patient and their dentist to focus on regular care, and by minimising risk factors before they cause pain and require treatment.
Attending the dentist regularly is widely acknowledged as an important part of a balanced healthy lifestyle. We find that more patients are visiting the dentist regularly which shows that people are prioritising their dental health
Affordability - At Confidental in Sandhurst we can help by spreading the cost of treatments, utilising dental insurance, looking at 0% finance options etc. We find that our patients visit us regularly in an attempt to reduce the risk of potential costly treatments developing. This shows that our patients are interested in managing their finances and shows that our patients understand that a ‘minimal intervention’ approach to dentistry does not cost more.
Private Care - At Confidental we try and provide the best quality care possible. We help patients to enjoy this by utilising membership plans which help in budgeting through affordable monthly payments, avoiding unexpected treatment costs, and opening up a wider choice of treatments.
Fear of the dentist / fear of pain - At Confidental our dentists take their time to explain options and try to get everyone as relaxed as possible, we use the latest technology for example super slim needles that hurt less and wand technology, we also have the option of dental sedation, this makes you sleepy and relaxed while you have your dental work carried out
Quality - Confidental’s team is focused on providing the best quality care possible, this is by using experienced staff and using the best quality materials available.
Customer service - At Confidental our team is customer focused and we work hard to provide you with good customer service on each and every visit
Reputation - Confidental has been in Sandhurst since 1965 caring for the dental health of our local population, we find that our patients visit us regularly in an attempt to reduce the risk o potential costly treatments developing. This shows
What is encouraging our patients to choose private care?
The increasing popularity of payment plans helps our consumers to move to private dentistry
The ability to budget for dental care
Payment plans and dental insurance provide a better option for consumers, giving them access to a wider choice of modern treatments.
At Confidental our patients are taking more preventive care to try and avoid dental treatments, we build time into our appointments to allow for preventive education and advice.
Preventive dentistry includes advice on;
- regular hygienist visits
- regular dentist visits
- limiting alcohol
- smoking cessation advice
- using a straw for fizzy drinks or juices
- cutting own on sugary food/sweets
- drinking more water
- reducing frequency of snacking
- brushing half an hour after eating
- using disclosing tablets
- using mouthwash
- using interdental bushes
- flossing daily
- brushing at least twice a day, etc
Preventive care and attitudes towards oral hygieneThe recession and economic climate has had some impact on our patients behaviour. Our survey/studies show that in the current climate more and more patients are taking more responsibility for maintaining their teeth and gums by using mouthwash, drinking more water, brushing at least twice a day, visiting the dent it more regularly.
Our patients agree that good oral health supports overall well being. Tooth decay is almost entirely preventable. Over 30% of our survey respondents said that the main reason for attending Confidental was to keep a good smile, and keep their gums and teeth healthy.
Patients’ smiles are being considered a priority in terms of beauty and aesthetics, many patients are prepared to invest money on maintaining an attractive smile and teeth.
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